The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-11

he pulled out from under the hatch
covering), and Tad meditated.
"Strike eight bells, Mr.. Small. and
call the watch!' shouted Captain Flagg,
in stentorian voice, as a glance at his
old-fashioned time-piece showed that it
was four o'clock p. m.
The chief mate shut up his jack-knifc
reluctantly, rose to his feet, and, dust
ing off his tarry trousers with great de-
liberation, struck eight resounding
strokes on the small bell for'a ard. Then,
lounging aft, he relieved the wheel,
and, seated on the rudder-head, steered
with one hand, while the other absently
fingered his jack-knife in his pocket.
Captain Flagg now tNok seat on the
edge of the little trunk cabin, yawned.
squinted his eye toward the western
horizon. where the sun was going down
in great sea of purple and gold, and
patronizingly beckoned to Tad, who,
with some difidence, sat down beside
the ancient mariner.
Like your shipmates in the port
watch pretty well, my lad?" inquired
the Captain, kindly.
With shy glance at unconscious
Polly, who was tantalizing Bounce by
swinging the big sun-bonnet by the
strings, before his nose, Tad said he
liked 'em evar so much.
That's proper" approvingly re-
sponded Captain Flagg, land mind that
you learn all you can from 'em. Eph
is 4 tremen'us smart sailor" continued
the Captain, lowering his voice Us he
regarded the youth in question, land
what he don't know about ships du-
ties and reggerlations amt worth
KNOWN"
As Tad's eyes involuntarily followed
the direction of the Captains gaze, he
secretly wondered whether it was &C.
centricity that prompted Mr.. Small to
wear a faded calico shirt, a battered
SLOUGH hat, tattered vest and dingy
canvas trousers. For Tad's idea of 4
sailors rig was derived from the one
or two highly-wrought nautical tales
which he had read in his life. He
fancied that in all climates and wealth
ers, Jack Tar wore little glazed black
hat with long ribbons, and a blue jack
ct resplendent with brass buttons, blue
trousers, silk stockings and low-quar-
tered shoes.
But he's the-the greatest chap to
white l ever see in my life," pursued
Captain Flagg, meditatively-" the Gerry
greatest"
Polly, who overheard the remark,
laughed gayly in the depths of her sun
bonnet
Hes got half bunch of loose shin
giles in the bottom of his bunk, that he
saved from our last deck-load, and
takes out fresh one every time he goes
below-that's where George Washing
ton gets his kindlings for the galley
stove FROM" she remarked, dcmurely.
THE most I'm afeared Of" observed
her father, in confidential whisper.
sis that his usin' of a jack-knife so
much might get the vessel into some
sech a scrape as the OF British East
Indy ship 'Win'sor Castle got into
once whilst was a sailor"
What was that, sir?" eagerly in
quired Polly, knowing full well what a
repository for the material out of which
sea-yarns were spun was her fathers
manly chest.
"Well," slowly returned the Captain,
"near's l can remember, the story's
this: The ship was on her home-bound
passage from Chiny, an got becalmed
for two or three days somewhere OH the
'quator. So, it bein' hot, and the sailor
to the wheel bein' absent-minded sort
of chap, what does he do but out
knife and cut his namc-'James w.
Dunn'-alOng on the rim of the m hog
any wheel" Here Captain Flagg en-
phasized the enormity of the offcnse by
a portentous shake of the head, and
went on:
80, when the Gap'n came on deck,
there was pretty row. He claps jim
in irons, and d're'tly they got into
port, had him rested, and the only
way poor Jim could get out of it was
by paying for bran'-new wheel"
That was too bad!'' interjected Tad,
who was eagerly listening.
"Well - yes" assented Captain
Flagg, who had curious way of some
times combining the practical and
scriptural when occasion offered. ''but
it goes to show. Thaddeus, that-the-